Help me prepare for my motor swap.

[tRidiot]

Got 'er back. She runs fine, but the power steering is effed. It whines just sitting now and whines when you turn, plus the brake pedal sorta of grinds/pulses when you push on it - even sitting and idling. My install guy says he's sure it's just low and maybe needs bled.

So I can't get to the PS pump. My triple alternator bracket sits on top of it. I got out there just now and pulled a couple bolts, managed to get the #2 alternator rotated up out of the way so I could get to the PS pump cap/reservoir - and the rear half of the alt bracket sits right on top of the cap - there's no way to get it off without removing all three alternators and both the front and rear half of the alternator bracket.

So I ain't gonna do this myself - I could if there was a decent place to do it and I had a helping hand or two and such, and if I didn't have a bum shoulder. It would take me half the day and a whole lot of cussin'. I'm gonna take it back up to him and he is gonna do it tomorrow probably. Or whenever. I dunno.

I'm bummed and irritated. I'm just tired and hurting in my shoulder after being out there even doing minor wrenching, which sucks, too.

The motor runs good, oil pressure just now was 38-39 at idle. Haven't put my new dash cluster in, but the oil pressure gauge is working, so it sounds like I didn't even need that, really... oh well. I won't tell The Wife that. lol

Maybe it'll be running right sometime soon...


BTW, I was surprised the PS issue would cause me issues with the brake pedal, but I seem to remember someone else on here complaining about something similar, although I thought it was a Pittman arm or something, but when they fixed the steering issue, it fixed the brake pedal issue, too - something to do with vacuum lines or something? I dunno how all that stuff interweaves, so it's hard to know, but it's definitely tied together. Even sitting at idle I have loud whining from the PS pump, when stepping on the brake I can feel the pedal sort of pulsing/grinding and the whine gets louder, and if I turn the wheel, I can feel the changes in the brake pedal as the noise gets way louder.

 

[Fless]

Got 'er back. She runs fine, but the power steering is effed. It whines just sitting now and whines when you turn, plus the brake pedal sorta of grinds/pulses when you push on it - even sitting and idling. My install guy says he's sure it's just low and maybe needs bled.

So I can't get to the PS pump. My triple alternator bracket sits on top of it. I got out there just now and pulled a couple bolts, managed to get the #2 alternator rotated up out of the way so I could get to the PS pump cap/reservoir - and the rear half of the alt bracket sits right on top of the cap - there's no way to get it off without removing all three alternators and both the front and rear half of the alternator bracket.

So I ain't gonna do this myself - I could if there was a decent place to do it and I had a helping hand or two and such, and if I didn't have a bum shoulder. It would take me half the day and a whole lot of cussin'. I'm gonna take it back up to him and he is gonna do it tomorrow probably. Or whenever. I dunno.

I'm bummed and irritated. I'm just tired and hurting in my shoulder after being out there even doing minor wrenching, which sucks, too.

The motor runs good, oil pressure just now was 38-39 at idle. Haven't put my new dash cluster in, but the oil pressure gauge is working, so it sounds like I didn't even need that, really... oh well. I won't tell The Wife that. lol

Maybe it'll be running right sometime soon...


BTW, I was surprised the PS issue would cause me issues with the brake pedal, but I seem to remember someone else on here complaining about something similar, although I thought it was a Pittman arm or something, but when they fixed the steering issue, it fixed the brake pedal issue, too - something to do with vacuum lines or something? I dunno how all that stuff interweaves, so it's hard to know, but it's definitely tied together. Even sitting at idle I have loud whining from the PS pump, when stepping on the brake I can feel the pedal sort of pulsing/grinding and the whine gets louder, and if I turn the wheel, I can feel the changes in the brake pedal as the noise gets way louder.

Do you have vacuum-assist or hydroboost brakes? On hydroboost the PS pump provides the assist.

 

[tRidiot]

I have no idea.


<edit> I'm gonna assist based on the amount of symptoms I have that it might be the latter? I dunno how to tell, though.

 

[Fless]

If your PS lines run up near the master cylinder it's hydroboost. There's no large vacuum unit behind the master cylinder. Eric IDs a few lines at about 1:05 or so:

 

[Sam Harris]

Do you have vacuum-assist or hydroboost brakes? On hydroboost the PS pump provides the assist.

Yup. Sounds like hydroboost

 

[tRidiot]

I dunno. I was gonna go out and do some more, maybe do the alts myself anyways. I knew it would take me all day working by myself and with my single socket set. Pulled out the Ebay Z71 roof rack I bought - found out that doesn't fit, either, bolt patterns aren't right.

I'm pretty discouraged overall, my shoulder is throbbing today, maybe from the little bit of wrenching I did this morning, I've been doing physical therapy for a month trying to get it into shape to be able to go rafting on my vacation, I'm guessing now that's not going to work out, either... wife and son and friends prolly gonna be doing that without me, too.

Feeling pretty bad this morning. Seems like nothing is working right, everything is screwed up.

 

[Sam Harris]

I dunno. I was gonna go out and do some more, maybe do the alts myself anyways. I knew it would take me all day working by myself and with my single socket set. Pulled out the Ebay Z71 roof rack I bought - found out that doesn't fit, either, bolt patterns aren't right.

I'm pretty discouraged overall, my shoulder is throbbing today, maybe from the little bit of wrenching I did this morning, I've been doing physical therapy for a month trying to get it into shape to be able to go rafting on my vacation, I'm guessing now that's not going to work out, either... wife and son and friends prolly gonna be doing that without me, too.

Feeling pretty bad this morning. Seems like nothing is working right, everything is screwed up.

I feel your pain. I had one of those days yesterday. Bad back, bad shoulders.. can’t do a whole lot, but plan the things you need to get done when you’re able to. Many of us on this forum are old, crotchety bastards, so you’re in good company here. [emoji106][emoji57]

 

[tRidiot]

Well, I rested a couple hours, fumed and steamed over it, then decided to give it another shot. There were a number of factors during my first effort that messed me up and discouraged me.

1. Rain. Had to pull the truck halfway in the garage to work on the engine bay. This led to poor lighting.
2. Truck is lifted just a bit, so had to use a stepstool to get far enough in to reach things.
3. Garage floor is smoothed concrete, so the stepstool kept sliding backwards, necessitating frequent resets and repositions.
4. My should was hurting - I've covered that.
5. I only have 2 hands.
6. I have limited tools. One decent socket set (3/8 & 1/4), had to keep figuring out ways to fit in a pair of vice grips to hold things while I used my socket on the other end of the bolt.

So in the afternoon I got The Boy to come help, got me an extra pair of hands.
It stopped raining, so I was able to do it out in the driveway - lighting problem solved.
Went and bought a 1/2 socket set, solved another problem of not enough (or the right) tools.

All in all, I got 'er done. 2 alts removed, had to add a bunch of power steering fluid and work the system to get the bubbles out. But... Black Betty rides again. Most everything seems to be working fine. Thanks for all the help to everyone here, I certainly needed it!

Here's a pic of my new dash cluster in place:

<edit> Ok, my photo hosting site is messing up this morning, so I'll have to do it later...

 

[tRidiot]

Here's the pic of the gauge cluster. Super happy with it, Digital Dash Solutions did a great job!

 

[fasteddy]

Whats that Check Engine Light?
Have you scanned it?

Why do you think your power steering suddenly had a problem after an engine swap?